Processing Advisor

Background

Founded in 1933, the International Rescue Committee is a leading non-sectarian non-profit organization providing emergency relief, protection, rehabilitation assistance, resettlement services and advocacy for refugees and victims of oppression or violent conflict. Staff and volunteers provide shelter, medical and public health assistance, education, training, and income-generating programs for refugees in nearly 30 countries. IRC also helps refugees resettle in the United States. IRC’s field offices across the US ensure that new arrivals have food, shelter, and clothing. IRC staff work with refugees to help them gain self-sufficiency through English language classes, job training and placement services and participation in community activities. Committed to human dignity and self-reliance, the IRC serves a symbol of hope and renewal for those who have taken flight in search of freedom.

To respond to the current Presidential Administration’s goal of reaching 125,000 annual refugee arrivals the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration intends to increase the number of agencies engaged in Reception and Placement. In support of this, IRC will create a Peer Support Unit that will provide hands on, collaborative, and evidence based technical assistance to new entrants. In support of this initiative, the Processing Advisor will work closely with the new entrant to prepare for initial refugee arrivals. The position will identify pre-arrival knowledge gaps and develop comprehensive plans to fill them. The Processing Advisor will coach, guide and nurture the processing skill set of the new entrants existing staff in the area of processing. The position will initially exist within the IRC’s Resettlement, Asylum and Integration (RAI) department and will report to the Director for Processing.

Major Responsibilities

• Evaluate new Resettlement Agencies needs, identify gaps and develop a comprehensive plan to address them.
• Based on need, support the new Resettlement Agency to develop a processing team structure, create job descriptions for key positions and train the new organizations existing staff as appropriate.
• Provide technical advice on the new Resettlement Agency’s Consolidated Placement Plan as required.
• Share best practices and systems on how to gather, consolidate and utilize data to support best placements in the new organization’s network.
• Support the new organization to build Standard Operating Procedures and develop a system to keep them continuously current.
• As needed, represent the new organization at weekly allocations meetings.
• Develop bench strength by training up existing staff through traditional coaching, shadowing, pre-allocation meeting discussions and post-allocation meeting debriefs.
• Train the new organization staff on resettlement database usage. Support the new organization in discussions with the database technical team to troubleshoot and streamline workflows as needed.
• Support pipeline management and develop arrival projections.
• Facilitate trainings for the new organization’s field offices on pre-arrival processing procedures and best practices. Knowledge areas include Assurance, Travel and Transfers. Provide technical assistance to field offices as required.
• Attend RCUSA pre-arrival, resettlement committee meeting and other meetings convened by RCUSA as appropriate.
• Analyze policy and operational information received by PRM to update internal procedures as needed.
• Maintain high performance and compliance standards with regard to assurance timeliness and other donor requirements.
• Work with the Program Officer for Data Quality and Visualization to strengthen quality assurance and tracking mechanisms.
• Other duties as assigned.

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to: Director for Processing
Position directly supervises: None.

Other Internal and/or external contacts:

Internal: Processing team colleagues; RAI HQ colleagues; RAI US field colleagues

External: New Organization staff, IRIS database team, Refugee Processing Center, Other Resettlement Agencies, IOM, PRM, Resettlement Support Centers, many others

Job Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree; advanced degree a plus.
• Minimum 5 years progressive work experience with social service or humanitarian assistance programs with experience in the field of program design.
• Demonstrated in-depth knowledge of the US Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) and R&P Program required.
• Proven leadership and partnership ability.
• Experience in training virtually and in person.
• Strong computer skills: advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office, especially Excel; Adobe; familiarity with IRIS, Hummingbird, WRAPS, or START a plus.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills: the ability to communicate effectively with colleagues and partners.
• Solid diplomatic and networking skills: the ability to effectively manage a variety of internal and external relationships, including relationships with donors and government officials;
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to juggle multiple tasks, set priorities, effectively manage time, and meet deadlines; exceptional attention to detail.
• The ability to be flexible and work well under pressure in a fast-paced team environment; aptitude for ongoing learning and adjusting to frequent changes in processes.

Working Environment:**

Remote. Occasional travel may be required.

Compensation: Posted pay ranges apply to US-based candidates. Ranges are based on various factors including the labor market, job type, internal equity, and budget. Exact offers are calibrated by work location, individual candidate experience and skills relative to the defined job requirement

COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement: In accordance with IRC’s duty to provide and maintain a workplace that is free of known hazards and our commitment to safeguard the health of our employees, clients, and communities, IRC requires new hires to furnish proof of vaccination against COVID-19 in order to be considered for any in-office or hybrid positions. All IRC US offices require full vaccination to attend any in-office functions (e.g., meetings, trainings).

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusivity: IRC is committed to building a diverse organization and a climate of inclusivity. We strongly encourage applications from candidates who can demonstrate that they can contribute to this goal.

Equal Opportunity Employer: We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

US Benefits: We offer a comprehensive and highly competitive set of benefits. In the US, these include: 10 sick days, 10 US holidays, 20-25 paid time off days (depending on role and tenure), medical insurance starting at $145 per month, dental starting at $7 per month, and vision starting at $5 per month, FSA for healthcare, childcare, and commuter costs, a 403b retirement savings plans with up to 4.5% immediately vested matching contribution, plus a 3-7% base IRC contribution (3 year vesting), disability & life insurance, and an Employee Assistance Program which is available to our staff and their families to support counseling and care in times of crisis and mental health struggles.